The present invention relates generally to a boat enclosure and is particularly concerned with an enclosure assembly which can be used to perform maintenance or boat cleaning on the water, rather than having to move the boat to a dry dock to perform such tasks.
The submerged portion of a boat's hull below the water line typically accumulates dirt and algae growth and must be cleaned and re-painted at regular intervals to ensure that the hull structure does not become irreparably damaged. Additionally, the remainder of the hull as well as the deck, cabins and the like must also be cleaned and re-painted regularly to reduce the effects of weathering. Under current environmental regulations, such regular maintenance work cannot be carried out in open water, since this would result in discharge of undesirable quantities of pollutants into the water. Thus, boats and other craft must often be returned to dry dock for regular maintenance work, at considerable inconvenience and expense.
Plastic liners for enclosing the bottom of boats are known, into which chlorine can be placed for dissolving material accumulating on the hull. However, these do not meet environmental regulations for carrying out maintenance on the water. Also, great care must be taken to ensure that chlorine and dissolved materials do not escape from the liner into the surrounding water, where they will cause environmental pollution problems.